Award Winning Summer Camp Offers Unique Opportunities for Waltham

Kids going to college in the fall have never experienced life without internet. They do not know the agonizing wait of dial-up. They recognize the sound of a telephone ringing from old cartoons. Folding maps seem like ancient artifacts as they navigate with GPS. Somehow, it seems as if this new generation has been born with a techie adaptation that enables them to learn new technology more quickly and more often than their older family members can grasp.

While young students are more acclimated to the fast-paced growth of technology, they still need to keep sharp in order to create success for themselves as adults. Lucky for them, because learning new techie skills comes more easily for them, the challenge can be fun and exciting.

That’s where Kids 4 Coding comes in. They are a nationally recognized summer camp program that brings STEM to children of all abilities. Their multi-award winning program is continuing for its fourth year at Lesley University, and is now offering its premier year at Bentley University! This is a tremendous opportunity for Waltham kids to participate in a trailblazing, cooperative, and exciting summer camp experience.

Kids 4 Coding was the brainchild of Denise Detamore, a former schoolteacher. She grew frustrated that educators were pressured to focus their teaching on testing skills for standardized tests. After a successful career more than two decades long, Denise retired. She chose to devote her life to providing high quality education to children around the country. A lot of work and a lot of research had to be completed in order to discern the best ways to fill the void in the US education system.

After extensive research, Denise discovered that the US education goals for technology have remained stagnant, even as technology is highlighted in schools across the globe. Denise found the missing link was the lack of computer science education. With her expertise in her teaching career, and her passion for bringing the highest quality education to children, Denise and her Massachusetts based business partner created Kids 4 Coding.

Today happens to be International Women’s Day, and I am proud to share this interview with Denise Detamore, co-founder of Kids 4 Coding. Two women entrepreneurs who with dedication, toil, and teamwork, successfully built an award winning business in a typically male dominated industry.

Lucci: How is Kids 4 Coding different from other programs, and what makes it a unique summer camp experience?

Detamore: Our proprietary curriculum provides multidisciplinary opportunities for children and is constantly evolving to keep up with the demands of changing technology. Our curriculum is developed by a team from industry professionals, computer science teachers, and computer science senior-level college majors.

Lucci: What is the basis of your summer program?

Detamore: Our program is based on years of experience and how children learn. So many programs register unsuspecting parents for a full-day program and charge large amounts for program fees and cover only one single topic during the day.

Lucci: Do you mean that in other programs, the children have to focus on one singular thing all day?

Detamore: For example: many well-known high-cost summer tech camp providers limit the children's creativity and do not place as much value on the aspect of fun. They usually use a system called "Scratch" developed by MIT. It is set up so that a child is doing Scratch the entire day. I love Scratch, but after about an hour, the children become bored and they are ready to change. Scratch is a considered a free gateway to teaching fundamentals of computer science. However, as a teacher with over twenty years of experience, having children ages 7-9 to focus on one task for the entire day like Scratch is not conducive to an engaging environment.

Lucci: What does Kids 4 Coding do to make the summer camp experience fun for the children?

Detamore: Our programs meet the needs of children and provide multi-disciplinary opportunities to keep the children engaged and excited. So for example, a morning program might include Game Design for the first half and Robotics for the second half of the morning program. For a child who attends a Full-Day, they would have something different to look forward to in the afternoon.

Lucci: What ages does your program serve?

Detamore: Ages 7-16. We are the only program that has MA certified teachers to oversee all day-to-day operations and safety.

Lucci: Does your program require a certain grade point average or mathematical fluency in order to join?

Detamore: We do not require a minimum GPA or mathematical fluency in order to join our programs. Our curriculum is designed for the beginner through advanced where we offer enrichment opportunities to students who have previous experience, but are ready to move on to higher levels.

Lucci: When does your program start?

Detamore: At Bentley University in Waltham we are offering Weekly Full and Half-Day Programs from July 8 through August 16. We are offering identical programs at Lesley University, too.

Lucci: Thank you for bringing your program to Waltham kids.

Detamore: I am passionate about education and welcoming children into a program that is both engaging and positive. Bentley is a beautiful campus!

ATTENTION READERS: Denise Detamore is offering an Early Bird Discount through March 31. The discount is $30. However, JUST FOR MY WALTHAM READERS, when registering for Kids 4 Coding at Bentley, the discount is $55! Online registration is convenient and easy. Use code STEM (case sensitive) for your exclusive Waltham discount.

http://kids4coding.com